This year’s Iron Game Chef contest will held from March 11th-19th. I’m looking forward to finding out the details of this year’s contest, and to seeing what excellent news games emerge from it. Who knows….I may even be inspired enough to give it a shot myself.

ABOUT THE EXCURSION
Join veteran author and game designer John Tynes for a weekend excursion to the quaint Victorian seaside village of Port Townsend on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula, three hours’ drive from Seattle.

You and five other brave souls will join John for an eerie tour of Fort Worden State Park, a naval defense complex built before World War I and derelict since the 1950s. You’ll be hiking, climbing, crawling, and exploring dark, decaying spaces by flashlight in this intensely weird, crumbling ruin half-covered by wild growth like the remnants of a forgotten empire. What strange government experiments happened in these burned-out bunkers and graffiti-strewn command posts?

Those who retain their sanity will retire to the grounds of Manresa Castle, built in 1892 as a rich man’s mansion, then a Jesuit college for ascetic theology, and now a 1920s retro hotel rumored to be haunted. After an elegant dinner, John will guide you in an original tabletop roleplaying adventure of modern horror, to reveal the occult mysteries and government secrets lurking all around you.

Your accommodations at the Castle will be eminently luxurious, but the Otherworld Travel Agency cannot offer a refund if, after the game, you are too terrified to sleep.

ABOUT THE TOUR GUIDE
During his twelve years as a tabletop game designer, John Tynes earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries of modern horror. He is best known for his work as an author (Delta Green: The Rules of Engagement), game designer (Delta Green, Puppetland, Unknown Armies, The Hills Rise Wild!), and editor (The Unspeakable Oath).

Those of you who’ve followed the successes of the Ransom model (the funding mode for Meatbot Massacre and …in Spaaace! may be interested to know that a new game’s in limbo, waiting for gamer dollars to buy its freedom.

The game is “Executive Decision” and it’s a real-time LARP set in the Oval Office. Players assume the roles of the President and his closest advisors as they confront a crisis and have to pick the best option based on limited information and political pressure. It’s diceless and rules-light (the resolution mechanic is pretty much “talk to the President and he decides”) but there is a scoring system that determines which player won the game. It’s fun. That’s the good news.

The better news is that it’s a collaboration between Ron Edwards, D. Vincent Baker, Dennis Detwiller, Chad Underkoffler, and me. You’ll see some A-Game when this comes out.

The best news of all is, we’re ransoming it for charity. 100% of all proceeds will go to the Red Cross to help victims of Hurricane Katrina (and, by the time we’re done, possibly that other one too).